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UFM User File Maintenance A PCBoard(tm) Utility Version 1.01 (c) 1989 by John B. Hines Dec 89 UFM Page 2 UFM Summary UFM is User File Maintenance, a utility to allow the PCBoard sysop to quickly and easily maintain the user file. It also supports many functions that PCBoard doesn't, but does not replace all the PCBoard functions. It is designed for interactive use, not running during the event, and provides quick and easy registration and control of your user updates. UFM Features o Maintains full address of user. Two address lines and zip code are stored, combined with the name and city/state from PCBoard gives full mailing address. Can (optionally) use the PCBoard comment field as address. o Maintains unlimited comments for each user. Comments can be 55 characters long, and are displayed in reverse chronological order. Registrations, Contributions, Subscriptions, and Lockout or Deletes can optionally generate a comment o Supports subscriptions and contributions from users, and can set security levels and length of subscription period if the subscription exceeds a specified amount. Up to 4 types of subscriptions are allowed, each with its own security level, length and conference registrations. Contributions has its own levels and length and conference registrations. o Maintains phone number database, allowing display of the locale of the phone number, or who the number belongs to. Has auto-dial of users phone numbers, or manually entered numbers. o Uses script answer files for user registration. Information can be read from scripts, and edited as needed. Visiting sysops can be registered to different security level, and given access to a special conference. o Optionally records message leaving and gives credit for messages left to figure into the upload/download ratios. Sysop definable byte credit for each message left. Processing of upload directory allows removal of upload credits for "junk" uploads. o Supports a request script for access to special conferences. Stores the birthdate of the user, for age sensitive operations. o Stores the real name of the user, for those systems that allow alias names. Can optionally use the real name on reports instead of the alias. o Records contributions from users, and can set security levels and length of subscription period if the contribution exceeds a specified amount. Conference registrations can also be changed. o Records a comment on lock-out or deletion of a user. Comments are stored outside of PCBoard, if the user comes back later, previous comments will still be there. o Reporting program provides reports of contributions, phone number lists, user summary, and mailing labels. Dec 89 UFM Page 3 o Fully customizable, many options can be disabled by sysop. Colors are configurable, monochrome supported also. Network sharing on PCBoard files, reads file locations from PCBoard files. o Menu driven, quick one character entries, mouse support. EGA/VGA supported for 43/50 line modes. Desqview aware, automatic configuration. Uses database technology, and indexed file access. Has drop to DOS feature, or execute a single DOS command. o Full functionality. This is freeware! Dec 89 UFM Page 4 UFM - User File Maintenance Change Log - In Reverse Order Version Date Changes 1.01 27-Dec-89 A "Beta" version, to fix some problems with lost passwords. Not fully finished and cleaned up, but the password problem is fixed. Added city to registration script edit, so you can fix it then. Added message credit to ratio display, requires UFMR to record message activity. Added upload inquiry on download file, and unupload function to remove upload credits. Added UFMR to record message and bulletin activity, ratios will come later. 1.0 2-Dec-89 First "offical" release. Added user edit function and search for conference registration. Dec 89 UFM Page 5 Registration UFM, UFME, and UFMI are copyrighted (c) 1989, by John B. Hines. The source code has not and will not be published or released. License to use this program is make under the following provisions: No modifications or patches are made to the program files. Redistribution of these files is permitted as long as all files are distributed. I ask that you "register" the program by informing me that you use it. I would like to know who is using my efforts. Please provide your name, mailing address, BBS name and number, and any Email addresses. I also ask that you give me access on your BBS, sufficent to upload and download files, and to your sysops conference (if any). No fee is to be charged for distributing this program and its associated files. I permit distribution via pay services as long as no charge is made specifically for distributing this file. Dec 89 UFM Page 6 ******************************************************** * WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING * * * * This program modifies the USER file. Be sure you * * have a backup of your file before you run this * * program. Failure to do so may result in loss of * * data. I am not responsible for your losing data or * * any other problems incurred. If you have backups of * * your data, you will not lose data from this or any * * other program! * ******************************************************** Sysop Security Levels and Sysop User Record This program has been intentionally designed NOT to process the sysops record, record number one in the users file, and to NEVER ever give any user a security level of one hundred or greater. This has been done for your protection, to keep from giving anybody sysops level access by accident. Dec 89 UFM Page 7 Configuration Directories I suggest putting UFM in its own directory, with the data in a sub- directory underneath it. For example: C:\UFM <-- For the program and help files C:\UFM\DATA <-- For the data files and indexes Since I am using database techniques for the configuration files also, no changes to any of the data files will (should) be needed in the future, so this directory structure will allow you to simply delete all the files in the top level directory, and install new versions without affecting the data files. UnZipping UnZip (or UnArc or Un-whatever) the files into the main program directory. If any files with the extension DB or IDX were included, move those files into the data directory. Environment Variables UFM uses a single environment variable to locate its files. Add the following line to your autoexec, suitably adjusted for your configuration. You can maintain multiple databases and switch between them by changing the environment variable. Example: SET UFM=C:\UFM\DATA Path The executable file can reside either in the current directory, or in any directory in your path statement. Alternativly, it can reside anywhere, if you use the full path when invoking it. All the examples in this document assume UFM is in the current directory or in the path. Networks UFM supports full file sharing on all PCBoard files. This allows UFM to run at the same time PCBoard is running. File sharing is not implemented for the UFM databases, so only one copy of UFM can be running at one time. Changing the information of a user that is currently on the board is possible, but the results are undefined, and probably undesirable. Do not try to update a user currently on the board! Invocation To startup UFM simply type UFM and hit return. It will automatically sense the type of computer you are running on, and adjust accordingly. If you are running an unusual setup, it may make the wrong assumptions, and produce incorrect results. You can override the settings with the following command line switches. All switches MUST be Dec 89 UFM Page 8 in lower case! /nodv UFM checks for Desqview(tm), and automatically requests an alternate screen buffer so it can do direct screen writes and run in a small window. Use this switch if you are running a different multitasker that confuses UFM, or try this if the program hangs at startup for an unknown reason. /bios Forces the use of BIOS routines for screen writes. Much slower, but allows for use with non-standard video displays, multitaskers, or redirection out a comm port. Not needed for Desqview. /snow Enables snow checking for slow CGA displays. Use this switch if you see snow in the display when it is being updated. /mono /bw These two switches force the use of monochrome attributes. Normally color is used if a color display is detected. This overrides the colors and forces black and white. Use this if you have a monochrome monitor attached to a color card, or for LCD or similar displays. Use either switch, they are identical. /nomouse Disables the use of the mouse. UFM supports a mouse, if one is detected, it will be used. Use this switch to suppress the use of the mouse. /rows=## /25 /43 /50 Controls the number of lines displayed. If you have EGA or VGA displays, you can display more than 25 lines. You can either specify using the /rows switch with the number of lines, or use /43 or /50. VGA is required for the 50 line mode. All displays can use the 25 line mode, it is the default, and what you get unless you specify otherwise. The program will check its database files, three of them, for consistency in the indexes, as it opens the files. If the indexes are invalid or non-existant, they will be re-built. If the files do not exist you will be asked if it is ok to create them. If you have already created the files, and you get this message it means the UFM environment variable is not set, or that the program can not access the files in the location specified. If this is the case, you should answer no, you will be returned back to DOS, and can fix the problem. Dec 89 UFM Page 9 When you run the program for the first time, you will see just an empty window, with the menu across the top. At this menu level you can press the F1 key for help. You use the arrow keys to move thru the menus, they are fairly standard pull down menus. You can also enter the highlited character of the menu option to quick select it. It is usually the first character of the option, but can be other ones. If you have a mouse, you can use it to select the options also. You can select the quit function at the right hand side to return to DOS. Other keys that may be usefull, and are active at all times, is Control-P, which performs a screen print and prints the current screen on the default print device PRN. The Alt-P key does the same thing, except it only prints the current window, and excludes portions of the other windows that are visible. The other key you can use is Control-D which dumps the current screen in binary format, including colors and attributes. The resulting file, "UFM.BIN" can be loaded into a program like Thedraw(tm) and manipulated if needed. The first things you must do at this point, is configure the program to your setup and needs. You need to configure the location of the PCBoard files, the UFM options you need, and optionally the colors. PCBoard Setup Select the Setup menu item, and the PCBoard sub-menu. You will be prompted for the drive, and path to the PCBoard file. This is the path to the PCBOARD.DAT configuration file. Do not specify the file name, just the full path to it. You don't have to put the trailing backslash either. Hit return when done entering the information. If you hit the escape key, you will abort the update of the information, and return back to the menu. If you are anxious to see results, you can exit the program at this point, and re-run it. You should now have your first user showing on the screen. Now go back into the PCBoard setup, you should see your systems file paths and information displayed. If you don't, check to be sure you have specified the correct path to the PCBoard file. UFM Setup Select the Setup menu item, and the Options sub-menu. You will see a screen full of choices that you can make. Alias Controls the use of alias names. If you allow alias names on your board, and want UFM to keep track of the person's real name, then enter yes here. If you don't allow alias names then enter no to disable the real name processing. Use real name If you have alias names enabled, you have the option of using the alias name or the real name on the reports that UFM produces. If you answer yes here, then the real name from the database will be used on reports, otherwise the alias name Dec 89 UFM Page 10 from the PCBoard record will be used. Address Enable or disable address processing. If yes then UFM will store a two line address and a zip code for each user. If no then no address information will be stored. Note: you can also use the PCBoard user comment as the address field, if you do this then this field has to be no. Registered Level The security level given to registered users. This can be any valid user level, that you have defined inside of PCBoard. New user level The security level that is given to new users by PCBoard. Enter whatever level they are given. UFM uses this level to tell you if you are re-registering an already registered user during the registration functions. Lock out level The level given to users that you lock out thru this program. Can be zero, which works like PCBoard, or a low security level that you have setup for these "twits" that gives low access. Expired level The security level set in the expired security level field when a user is registered. This can be the same as the registered level if you have the subscription processing enabled, but are not really using it. Or it can be any level you desire. Sysops Level The security level given to visiting sysops. When registered using the registration script processing, a user identified as a visiting sysop will be given this level. If you do not give a higher level to visiting sysops, then set this level equal to that of a normal registered user. Comment on regs Enable or disable the leaving of a comment when a user is registered. UFM stores a comment indicating the date and security level the user was registered to. Comment on $$$ Enables or disable the leaving of a comment when a user contributes to the BBS. The date and amount contributed, and the security level changes are entered as the comment. This must be on for the contributors report to function. Dec 89 UFM Page 11 Comment on lock Enables or disables the leaving of a comment when a user is locked out, or deleted from the users file. You will be prompted for the reason of the lock out or deletion when it happens. Your area code Defines your area code. Used by the phone database as a default area code for phone numbers when a user doesn't enter one. Also used by the dialer, which strips this area code when dialing a number with it, as you don't need it. Comment as addr If yes, then the PCBoard user entered comment will be used as the address. I suggest you answer no, and allow UFM to maintain addresses as it can store more data. But if you already use the comment for this purpose, you can continue to do so. Sysops conf # The number of your sysops conf. If the user has been identified as a visiting sysop during the registration script processing, when registered they will be given access to this conference. If they are not a sysop, then they won't. Set this to zero if you do not have a private conference for sysops. Info in Cmnt If set to Yes, then the users information, address, real name, and birthdate will show in the comment section. This allows you to see when that information was last updated. If you set this switch to No, then the information is not shown in the comments. It is always shown in the users information section. Dial Port Enter the communications port your modem is on. The modem will be used for dialing phone calls from within UFM. There must be a phone connected to the same line also! Enter "NONE" to disable the dialer function. Dial Speed Enter the speed (baud rate) for the dialer to use. Can be just about any speed, but shouldn't be greater than your modem can handle. Dial Init The string of commands sent to the modem to initialize it. These depend on your modem, they are sent with no translation. A carriage return is sent after the string automatically. Dec 89 UFM Page 12 Dial Pre The prefix that is inserted before the phone number. Should contain the commands to make your modem dial the following digits. Again a carriage return is sent after the complete phone number. LD code These numbers or characters are added before any phone numbers that are outside of your area code. Normally just a "1" or "1-" will be enough, altho you may use something different to select your long distance service. Birthdays Enables or disables the storage of the users date of birth. If you are interested in users ages, for example if you have an adult conference, you will want to use this. Scripts Enables or disables the processing of scripts. If enabled then you can view the answers to main board scripts, and enables special processing for registration scripts and request scripts. Ask script Enter the number of a request script. This is a script that your users fill out to make requests (like admission to conferences) of you. You will have the ability to process the answers to this script, which means that you will be shown the answers for each user, and UFM will find the user in the file automatically. You can then update the users conference registrations. This script must be a main board script. Ask questions Enter the number of questions on the request script. Used to size the window that the answers are viewed in. A size of 10 or less works best with a 25 line screen. Larger scripts work better with a larger screen. If you size the window too small, the first answers will scroll off the screen. The minimum size is 7 lines. Reg script Enter the number of the main board script that is used for registration. This script is processed like the ask script, except you can specify which answers contain information to be automatically entered into the database. Security level updates are performed from within the processing of the script. Dec 89 UFM Page 13 Reg questions The number of questions on the registration script. Used to size the window that registration processing is done within. A size of 10 or less works best with a 25 line screen. Larger scripts cause the window to cover up the user information. The questions that UFM can process are limited to numbers 1 to 16, you can have more than 16 questions, but the ones UFM processes have to be less than 16. Answer w/ BBS The question number on the register script that contains the BBS information. If the user is a sysop, then the information on this line is stored as a comment, showing the user as the sysop. Set to zero if not wanted. Contributors Level The security level given to users that are processed with the contributors registration function, and that contribute more than the amount specified. Contributors Expired Level The security level given to contributors for when their increased access period expires. Useful only if you run subscription mode of PCBoard, or set the same as the contributors level to effectively disable it. Contributors Access Period Enter the number of days that someone who contributes more than the specified amount will be given special access for. Specify the time period in days, IE 365 = one year, 183 = 6 months. The expiration date will be set to the date that is this number of days away from today. Subscription mode must be enabled in PCBoard for this to be effective. Contributors Amount Enter the amount of money required for upgraded access. Any user processed thru the contributors update, that contributes this amount or more, will be given the level specified, with an expiration date based on the number of days specified, at which time they will be given the expired level. Use this if you have a policy of "If you donate $xx or more, you will be given xx minutes daily for 18 months". PCBoard subscription mode must be enabled for this to function properly. Contributors Conferences Defines the conference mask that will be applied to users that contribute more than the contributor's amount. This can be used to allow Dec 89 UFM Page 14 access to special conferences, or remove access, to contributors. This defaults to the public conference string in PCBoard when UFM is first run, if you change the public conference string in PCBoard, you must also change it in UFM. Subscription Level The security level given to users that are processed with the registration function, and that pay more than the amount specified. There is a level for each of the four subscription types supported. Subscription Expired Level The security level given to subscribers for when their increased access period expires. Useful only if you run subscription mode of PCBoard, or set the same as the subscribers level to effectively disable it. Subscription Access Period Enter the number of days that someone who subscribes for this type will be given special access for. Specify the time period in days, IE 365 = one year, 183 = 6 months. The expiration date will be set to the date that is this number of days away from today. Subscription mode must be enabled in PCBoard for this to be effective. Subscription Amount Enter the amount of money required for upgraded access for each of the four subscription types. Enter zero if you don't want to use this level. Any user processed thru the registration update, that pays this amount or more, will be given the level specified, with an expiration date based on the number of days specified, at which time they will be given the expired level. Use this if you have a policy of "If you pay $xx or more, you will be given xx minutes daily for 18 months". PCBoard subscription mode must be enabled for this to function properly. Additionally, the amounts need to increase for the subscription types, as the registration process looks at level 4 to see if the amount paid is greater than the amount for the level the user is given that level. If not, then it checks level 3, then level 2 and last level 1. If none of the levels match, the regular register level is used, and no special conferences or access period is enabled. Subscription Conferences Defines the conference mask that will be applied to users that subscribe with this type of subscription. This can be used to allow access to special conferences, or remove access, to subscribers. This defaults to the public conference string in PCBoard when UFM is first Dec 89 UFM Page 15 run, if you change the public conference string in PCBoard, you must also change it in UFM. Help File The path and name of the help file. If you wish to run UFM from any directory you will need to set the path for the help file so that UFM can find its help file. If this path is incorrect, then the popup help will be disabled. For best results, exit UFM and re-execute it. This will insure that all the functions are properly initialized. Dec 89 UFM Page 16 Using UFM The list of commands is shown across the top of the screen, you can enter just the highlighted character, or use the cursor arrow keys or mouse to move the selected item to the function, and hit enter. Most of the functions have a sub-menu of functions that pull down. Hitting the escape key will back up from the sub-menu, and from within most of the processing. Hitting escape at the main menu will exit the program. In general, it is a fairly standard pull down menu structure. You can hit the F1 key to call up help at any point. Use the "+" and "-" keys to advance or backup through the users file. Hitting the plus key advances one user, hitting minus backs up one user. I use the keys on the keypad, they are easiest to use. The Inquire menu has the functions that you use to inquire into the user file. You can jump to the top of the user file, record #2 the first user in the file, or jump to the bottom of the user file, the highest record on file, the last user. As a short cut, use Alt-T to jump to the top, or Alt-B to jump to the bottom. You can also find a user, searching for the user that begins with the string you enter. The find function can be invoked with the Alt-F also. Or you can find a user that matches a specific security level. The Update menu has the functions to modify a user. You can enter a comment on a user, which will be dated and stored. The users information can be edited as needed. Registration can be performed, updating the users security level to that specified in the setup, and also optionally, a comment will be entered indicating the user was registered on this date. The Income function is like the register function, except it updates the user to the contributor security level, and optionally prompts and records the amount of the contribution. Conference registrations can be updated, for the regular conferences, 0 through 39. Locking out, dropping the users security level to that specified in setup as a locked out user can be done, with optionally a comment of why the user was locked out. A user can be deleted, security level set to zero and the delete flag set, again with an optional comment. The full address of the user, and their real name can be maintained, if these options are enabled. The Answer menu is the heart of this program. It is designed to allow the sysop to quickly check users answers to scripts, and update their registration. One of the scripts can be designated as the registration script, the one new users must fill out to gain access. This script can be processed, where each users answers will be displayed, along with their user record, one at a time. The answers can be picked out of the answer file, edited by you, and transfered automatically into the database, as the users record is updated. This allows you the sysop to process, given optimal user responses, the entire registration script simply by pressing "Y" or "N" to register, or not register each user. By simply entering "E" you can edit the data before it is transfered into the database. This also includes updating visiting sysops to a special security level, and giving access to a special conference. The view function provides the ability to view all the main board script answer files. The save function will append the contents of a script to another file, and optionally delete the original answers. This way you don't have to keep processing the same Dec 89 UFM Page 17 answers over and over, but retain the answers in one file for permanent storage if that is what you need. The phone database stores descriptions for phone numbers, by individual number, or by areas. When a users information is displayed, the description that best matches the users phone number is retrieved. The method used is to search for an exact match on the users phone number, if its not found, a search on the area code and exchange and a single zero is tried. If that fails also, then a search on just the area code is made. If that still fails no information is returned. This provides a rough indication of a users location, and the validity of the users information. If a user says he lives in one state, but the area code on their phone number is another... More relevent is that if the users city is on the other side of town from the phone exchange, then this users information is more suspect than if they match (or nearly so, people on the edge of town are often served by the other exchange). Also if you call somebody to voice verify them, and its Joe's pizza parlor, you can enter that number into the database. If the person calls back under another name, and leaves the same number, you know immediately without calling that its bogus. Local BBS numbers are also good to put in. The idea is to help narrow down the number of users that need extra verification steps, to those that are the most suspicous. The dialer function will use a modem to auto-dial either of the phone numbers for the current user, or a manually entered number. Miscellaneous functions available include a "debug" screen that shows some of the internal variables and file paths. Also available are the execution of a single DOS command, or a full drop to DOS shell. After dropping to DOS, type "exit" at the DOS prompt to return to UFM. Re-index rebuilds all the index files for the databases. Normally this is not needed, but execute this if you have any trouble with the database files, such as data not appearing when it should. Re-indexing fixes most problems with the database files. The database sub-system buffers in RAM the index and data files, the flush function forces the writing of these buffers to disk. This flush function can also be invoked at any time by pressing the F10 function key. Use this to insure that any changes are written to disk, like if you just heard a loud thunder clap, or are going to be away from the computer for a while. The buffers are also flushed upon program exit. UnUpload will sequentially process the upload directory, showing you each file uploaded, and giving you the option to remove the credit from the users record, and to optionally delete the file from disk. This allows you to easily disallow credit for those junk uploads, if you are running ratios. Quit does just that, flushes all the buffers, and quits the program. If you wish to just run a few DOS commands and come back, use the DOS command or drop to DOS functions on the miscellaneous functions screen. Dec 89 UFM Page 18 Inquiry Functions The most basic inquiries are done by using the plus and minus keys to browse thru the users. The top and bottom functions jump quickly to the begining or end of the file. You can then browse forwards or backwards from those users. Since PCBoard adds new users to the end of the file, jumping to the bottom of the file makes the last user to register the current user. Inquiry into users can be done by name or security level. Searches by name use the index files to locate the user. The search string is compared to the beginning of the name, for the length of the search string. Thus it is important to know at least the first few characters of the name. Each name matching the search string is displayed, and you are prompted for if this is the right user. If not, the search continues. If it is the correct user, then that user is made the current user and their information is displayed. If there are no users matching the search string, control is returned to the menu, from which you can make a new selection. Inquiry by security level starts with the user after the current user. This means if you want to search the whole users file, you must jump to the top of the users file first. Since the search starts with the next user after the current one, you can make repeated searches though out the file. The first user on file will never match, it is up to you to notice their security level is what you seek. Inquiry can also be done by conference, you can search for users registered in a specific conference. Just enter the conference number, and it will find the next user registered in that conference. Transfer inquiry will search the DOWNLOAD.TXT file for all file transfers performed by the current user. You can use this function to keep track of the users file activity. Update Functions The update functions allow you to update a users information. You can maintain both UFM stored information, as well as some PCBoard information. Information you can change in UFM is limited to that which is of concern to the registration and user information. Things like last message pointers are not maintained by this program. Comment update allows for the entry of comments on a user. Each comment is dated and stored in reverse chronological order such that the most recent comment show first. These comments are totaly indepentant of the PCBoard comments, and can be used for any purpose by the sysop. Since the comments are independant of PCBoard, there is no way for a user to see them or change them the way the PCBoard comment can. Edit allows editing of the user information. It updates both the PCBoard user file information and the UFM stored data. All the fields displayed can be updated. If you blank out an information field, like the address, that record will be deleted from the database (empty Dec 89 UFM Page 19 records are not stored). Register is a method of registering a user. It will update the users security level, and optionally leave a comment showing that the user was registered on this date, and the level that the user was registered to. The Income function is similar to the register function, except it also records a dollar amount of the contribution or subscription fee paid by the user. It also upgrades to the contributing user level set in the setup function. The comment optionally recorded shows both the amount involved, and both the before and after security levels. Conference registration can be updated with the conference update function. When selected you can change the registration by moving thru the fields, placing an 'X' wherever registration is desired, and a space where its not. The three lines are conference registered in, conferences to scan, and the expired conferences. Expired conferences will only show up if the subscription option is enabled in PCBoard, its meaningless otherwise. Security level update allows the changing of the users security level, and the expired level, if subscription mode is enabled. The security level can be set to any value from 0 to 99. Note that zero locks out a user, but will not add comments as will the lockout function. House address allows the updating of the users address, both the parts stored in the database and in the PCBoard users file. This can be disabled in the setup options functions, in which case it don't work. Lock out does just that, it locks out a user. This sets the users security level to that specified in the setup options section. This allows you to use a real low level of access, allowing "locked out" users to read a message or screen telling them they are locked out. If the level is set to zero, then this works like PCBoard does. You can also optionally enable a comment on lock out, which prompts you for a reason why you locked this user out. Real handy if you can't remember the exact reason you locked out the 1001 twits that reside in your neighborhood. Delete is very much like lock out, except it sets the security level to zero, forcing a complete lock out, and sets the positive delete flag in the users file. This means that the users record will be removed the next time you pack your user file. If you have enabled comments on lock out, you will be prompted for a comment when you delete a user also. Remember, when a user is deleted from the PCBoard users file, their data still remains in UFM's database, and will show up if they call back, or another user uses the same name. Alias update, is actually real name update, but R was already taken. If you have enabled alias processing, UFM will store the users real name. (it is assumed that the name in the PCB users file is the alias.) This allows you to update the name as needed. The real name can optionally be used in the reporting functions, as you see fit. Script Answers Dec 89 UFM Page 20 View answers allows you to view the answers to any of the main board script questionaires. The questions are stripped out to allow for more information to fit on the screen. Scripts with more than 16 or so questions are best viewed in 43 or 50 line mode, otherwise they don't fit in the window very well. This is just a handy feature that allows you to check on your script questionaires. Register script processing is a major function of UFM. In the setup options you can specify which main board script is your registration script. Also you can specify the question numbers that contain the information to be stored in the database. This script should ask for the following questions: Real Name (if you allow alias names) Address Line 1 (if you are processing addresses) Address Line 2 ZIP Birthdate (if you store birthdates) Sysop Y/N Sysop BBS info These questions are used in the following way, real name is stored, the address information is stored, birthdate is stored. For best results, use a format of MM/DD/YY or MM-DD-YY or even MM/DD/YYYY as UFM can calculate the age of the user which is handy for people like me that can't calculate dates in their head very quickly. If the sysop Y/N question answer has a "Y" at the beginning, then the user is registered to the visiting sysop security level defined in the setup options, and also given access to the sysops conference. Then the answer with the BBS information is saved as a comment for that user, so you can keep track of what system they are a sysop of. Since many users can't read the directions you give them for filling out the script, you can edit the information before it is stored. When processing the registration script, each users answers will be displayed, and that users information will be brought up and displayed. The data that will go into the database is copied over to the right side of the screen, and if the user specifies yes they are a sysop, the BBS information will be shown on the bottom line. You will then be prompted for Update? enter either "Y" to update the user with the current information, or "N" to skip the user and not update, or "E" to edit the information. If "E" is selected you will then be allowed to update the information along the right side of the screen. Note: if the user messed up the sysops question, you will have to edit once to turn on the sysops flag, and edit again to edit the BBS information. You can also escape out of the processing. The size of the window used for the registration processing is adjustable, specified in the setup options screen. I suggest you use as few questions as you can, so that you can shrink the registration window down, and show more of the users information. (or use 43 or 50 line mode) I use the registration processing (thats why I wrote it) to process registrations on my board. I usually come home from work, run UFM, and run the registration processing. It gives me all the people that have filled out the script, I check the information in both the script and PCBoard files at a glance, edit it if needed, and give a Y/N to the update. If the user is a sysop, they are given special access automatically without my having to anything special. Takes 5 minutes on a bad day! Dec 89 UFM Page 21 Request script processing is similar to the register script, except its much simpler. I have a private conference (adult conference) that is available only by request. I require the users to fill out a simple script, one question, for access. The request script processing simply shows the answers to this script, one at a time, and prompts for update? If you answer yes, then you will be put into the conference registration update section, where you can update the users registrations. If you answer no, then you go on to the next users request. Once again the size of the window used is adjustable, if you have only a few questions you can use a smaller window which shows more of the users information. In the case of an adult conference for example, you would not want to hide the users birthday! Save answers appends the answers onto a file called SAVEDxx where xx is the script number in the same place as the answer file. Then it asks if you want to delete the original answer file. This allows you to get rid of answers already processed, so you don't have to repeat them, but yet save the contents for future reference. You must save the files before you can delete them, to prevent data loss. If you really are not interested in saving the answers for posterity, I suggest putting a delete of the saved files in your event or other routine maintenance. Phone Database The phone database keeps a description for phone numbers. These descriptions are displayed with the users phone number. Three standard functions of add, change and delete are provided. Add lets you enter new numbers that are not on file, and change and delete act on numbers that are on file. All processing is done by a combined key of area code, exchange and number, thus you need to specify all three to change or delete. For more generic descriptions the number can be a single zero, to allow for a description that covers an entire exchange, or the number and exchange can both be single zeros for a description of an entire area code. While you can use any descriptions you want, I suggest putting in the word "area" in a generic area code description, and "exchange" in for exchange descriptions. For example: Chicago, Illinois area Glen Ellyn, IL exchange Chicago, IL Monroe exchange Place a call invokes the auto-dialer. It needs to be set up for your specific hardware in the setup options section, where port number, baud rate, init strings and the like need to be setup. The defaults should work for most Hayes "compatibles", but see your modem book for details. While most of the settings are adjustable, the program still assumes that a Hayes compatible is used, and uses "+++" and "ATH0" put the modem on-hook. It also drops DTR so it may work with other modems also, but has only been tested with my Hayes compatible. Other settings are your area code which needs to be put in. If a phone number begins with your area code, it will be removed before dialing as it is not needed. Phone numbers that have an area code other than yours will have the long distance prefix added. Normally this is just "1-" but it can be whatever you need to get an alternative carrier, or WATTS line. By default sound is enabled on the dialing, I recommend that you leave Dec 89 UFM Page 22 it enabled, as there is no other way to monitor the call progress. To actually place a call, invoke the dialer from the menu. You will be given the choice of either the current users home/voice number, or business/data numbers, or a manual number. If you select manual, you will then be prompted for the phone number to dial. No matter which number you select, it will be adjusted for the area code as needed. The call will be placed, when you hear it ring the other end, pick up your telephone, and hit return to have the modem hang up. You must have a telephone on the same line, unless you just intend to annoy people by calling and hanging up. Color Setup Color setup allows you to adjust the colors used for most of the screens. I will be the first to admit, color is not real well implemented, the colors tend to be used in real strange places. So its an adventure, but at least you can do it. When you select the setup colors screen, you will see a list of the colors used by the program. Each color has a number, the description of what the color is used by, what the color actually looks like, what it looks like in monochrome (bold or not), and then the component colors, foreground and background. Enter the number of the color you wish to change and hit enter. Then you will be given a selection box, where you can select the foreground color by using the up and down keys, hitting return when you have the desired color. Then you choose the background color in the same manner. You then will see the color change on screen, and be asked to select another. Enter just a return to save the colors and return to the menu, or escape to abort the update and return to menu. The use of monochrome attributes, white and bright white only, can be selected by using the /bw or /mono switches when invoking UFM. As to what color uses which attribute, is determined by the color selection option, which is why the monochrome attribute is displayed. If you mess up the colors so they are all white, or all bright white (or all black) using the /mono switch won't help. Options Setup Option setup is pretty well covered earlier in the documentation, I refer you back to it. I would suggest using the ALT-P or CTRL-P functions to make hard copies of your setup screens, then if you loose your settings, or mess up your colors hopelessly, you can simply delete your setup database, and start over. PCBoard setup Once again PCBoard setup was covered in the configuration section earlier in the documentation. The only thing you need to (and can) setup is the path to your PCBoard default directory. All the other PCBoard setups are read out of the PCBoard configuration files. They Dec 89 UFM Page 23 are displayed on this screen so you can make sure you have selected the correct node you wish to use. Miscellaneous Functions The debug screen shows the values for some of the internal variables and settings used by UFM. This allows you to check paths and such, if you are having problems you attribute to configuration, check this screen to see where UFM is looking for things. The command function allows for the execution of a single DOS command from within UFM. Simpler and faster than a full shell out to DOS, you should use this function when you only want to run a single command. The shell to DOS invokes the current command interpreter as a secondary shell so you can enter commands or run other programs. Entry of "EXIT" at the DOS prompt in the secondary shell will return you back to UFM. This function looks at the COMSPEC environment variable so it will work properly with COMMAND.COM replacements like 4DOS(tm). The re-index all function rebuilds the indexes on all the database files. These indexes are normally self-maintaining, but if for some reason they get slightly corrupted, you may need to re-build them. UFM will normally detect corrupted indexes, and automatically re-build them on startup, but if you notice that items in the database are not being retrieved when they should be, try re-building the indexes, it should clear up the problem. If it doesn't clear it up, then exit UFM, delete the *.IDX files, and run UFM again, it will re-build the index files from scratch. Do NOT delete the *.DB files! these contain your data! The flush buffers function forces UFM to write all the internal data buffers to disk. The database files are internally buffered, so if UFM aborts for any reason without going through a normal exit, the data in memory may be lost. Most likely the data will be index information, so the indexes will get corrupted. By flushing the buffers you can minimize any potential data loss. This function is mapped to the F10 key, so you can invoke it at any time by hitting F10. I would suggest doing this after you do a bunch of updates, or if you are going to be away from the computer for a while, or if you hear a large clap of thunder. Quit What can I say? The quit function flushes all buffers, and exits to DOS. You can either select this function, or hit escape at the main menu prompts. Dec 89 UFM Page 24 UFMR - Message activity recorder UFMR is a program that reads the callers log, and updates the main UFM database with message activity information. Messages left, and comments left, messages deleted, and bulletins read are all recorded. The upload to download ratio will take into consideration a "credit" for leaving messages, depending on the values you enter in setup. This allows you to reward users for message base activity. To implement UFMR, simply run it from your UFM directory, it uses the same setup files as UFM. It takes one argument, that is the path and name of the caller log. For example: UFMR P:\PCB\MAIN\DAILY1 It is best if you use a daily caller log, and process it each night during your event. There is no protection against running the UFMR program many times against the same caller log, it will simply duplicate the message credits. See the PCBoard documentation for how to setup your caller log processing. UFMR needs to be run against all nodes callers logs. Dec 89 UFM Page 25 Multi-Field editing keys When doing multi-field entry, like the setup screens or the user edit functions, the following keys have special functions. Key Action --- ------ LeftArrow cursor left RightArrow cursor right UpArrow cursor up DownArrow cursor down Ctrl-LeftArrow word left Ctrl-RightArrow word right Tab field right Shift-Tab field left Enter process field Ctrl-Enter process all fields Decimal (.) move to right side of decimal point Home beginning of field End end of field line / end of field Ctrl-Home beginning of first field Ctrl-End end of last field Ins toggle field insert mode Del delete character at cursor BackSpace delete character left Ctrl-BackSpace delete word left Ctrl-R restore field to original contents Ctrl-T delete word right Ctrl-U delete to end of field Ctrl-Y delete to end of last field Esc abort data entry Dec 89 UFM Page 26 Subscription/Contribution Operations UFM supports both Subscriptions and Contributions. Whats the difference you ask? Well, I've divided BBS systems into three broad catagories, Free boards, Contribution boards, and Subscription boards. A free board is one that does not ask for money, and is a rare and endangered species. A contribution board is one that asks for money, and can give extra access to those that contribute, but does not have specific requirements on the amounts or time given. A subscription board is one that requires a certain amount of money for a certain access period for a certain time. UFM handles contributions and subscriptions in basically the same way, just uses different terms and keeps them separate for reporting. Thus you can use them individually or in combination. How you want to define them or use them is up to you. Subscriptions are broken up into 4 types, each having its own security levels, expired levels, and time periods. This way UFM should be able to handle the different types of subscriptions offered by different systems. You can offer 90 day, 6 month, 1 year, 3 year subscriptions, or basic access, extended access, premium access, or Super Duper access subscriptions or a combination of both, with a limit of 4 types total, in addition to a contribution type also. In order for contributions or subscriptions to be effective, you must enable PCBoards subscription mode. Otherwise only the security level change will be effective, as PCBoard will ignore the expired level and expiration dates. Also be aware that PCBoard does NOT change the security level to that of the expired level, it checks the expired date and uses the expired level if the account has expired. Many doors and other third party programs do NOT correctly implement the expired date and level processing and ignore it, giving full access at all times. Be sure you check the doors you use before you rely on them! Dec 89 UFM Page 27 Epilogue Well thats UFM and what it does. There are two companion programs that go with it, UFMI and UFME which do Imports and Exports respectively. The export program, UFME, also has the reporting functions. There is also a utility package which can do database converts to and from dBase(tm) format, and database compression. I am working on enhancing and improving UFM, new versions will be posted on Scintillation BBS, as are other utilities I've written. There is a support conference on Scintillation BBS where the updates and companion files will be posted. I will also post a starter phone database, hopefully others will post their phone databases with their local phone number information. I can be reached by any of the following means: US Snail: John B. Hines 11 Briar #27 Glen Ellyn, IL 60137 On BIX or GEnie as: JBHINES On Salt Air as: John Hines Or via the following mail systems: Metronet MetroNet or Sysops conference PCBmail Administrative or Sysops conference